MM Lightning or Busker Sidewalk?

[fredpink]

Hi all, great to find this excellent forum! I have been studying it and found a lot of my questions about Resonators answered simply through reading the threads. I feel like I want to finally get a resonator. I have whittled it down to a MM Lightning or Busker Sidewalk. I have my eye on 2 for sale, the MM is a bit less expensive but I like the finish and 14 frets of the Busker a bit more.

They both look like amazing instruments from the reviews. Can anyone give me some advise on this? How do they compare soundwise, build quality etc? I play music like Beggars Banquet Stones and some Son House style slide (but I am not as good as either!).

Also what is the connection between MM and Busker? I have read some threads that seem to suggest they are linked companies or colleagues somehow? I am just interested, sorry for my ignorance!

Thanks!

[Michael Messer]

Hi Fredpink,

Welcome to our forum.

Busker Guitars used to be MM Guitars UK distributor. We parted company two years ago.

I should be a salesman and encourage you to buy the Lightning, but I believe you should buy the guitar that you are attracted to.

I won't go into the various differences between the two models as that has been covered many times on here, but I can assure you that a Busker guitar will be good instrument.

I hope that's helpful

Shine On
Michael

[bonzo]

Hi Fredpink,l went for the lightning, lovely sounds, wonderful build and looks great! In fact I own 2, one has a lace sensor low profile pickup permanently installed (sorry Michael!) Sounds great through an acoustic amp should you ever go down that route. MM guitars are rated as pretty much the best value for money resonators around,although as Michael has said busker do a nice guitar. Nice choice for you to make! Best wishes, John

[fredpink]

Thanks so much guys! I will do some more digging on the other threads as well. Great friendly forum!

[stevie2sticks]

Fredpink

I bought a MM Lightening, Blues 28 and a Busker Tricone. I tend to keep the Lightening set for slide, the Blues for slide/finger pick and the tricone for fingerpicking.

All the guitars are good, both suppliers are great to deal with.

Steve

P.S. if I could only keep one . . . . . . . . It would be the Lightening

[thebluesbear( al)]

Hi
Well i have two MM lightnings , and among others a busker sidewalk as well . i agree that you should go with the one that speaks to you . or put it like this , which one could you see your self playing ?

Let me put it like this, My MM lightning is-one of my go to work Guitars ....i usually have one with me or not far away ...in the 7 years i have owned this-one its kind of like a extension of my right arm ...My Sidewalk is a great Guitar as well , i use it for more jazzy stuff

G.A.S or R.A.S it cannot be cured watch out .. lol

have fun and good luck with your choice

al

[Wailing]

Hi Fredpink

I don't wish to make life even more complicated, but if you like an edge of 'growl' in your playing, the MM Blues is a fantastic guitar, I have had my one for a a couple of years and it can produce a fantastic range of sounds... As the other folk state, you won't go wrong with either MM or Busker guitars... Smile factor 10

[Robin]

I have not owned a Busker Sidewalk and would love one as both the MM guitars I own went through Busker guitars and Robin has been helpful in the past too with advice and parts for my guitars. I have a Rogue 14 fret resonator, a busker Lightning and a MM Blues steel body 12 fret to body, there is something in the tone of the 12 fret to body guitars that gives them a richer fuller tone, I have tried the Rogue with a National Cone too, all round thinner in its sound, great attack and bite and on some things that is what I am after, but as an allrounder the 12 fret bell brass body lightning is the one I reach for every time to play gigs, for pleasure, and it gets better every day. I would love sometimes to have that extra two fret reach, but i still go for the lightning.
The Rogue guitar is a well built Resonator with wide nut and better than most imported resonators from the east, it is probably wrong to even compare it too the Busker Sidewalk, however I have set it up carefully adding a better cone and biscuit and I am never totally happy with it alongside the other options I have.
Al in a response above says he has both a Sidewalk and Lightning so can probably give you a better more fair tonal comparison. he mentions using it for more Jazzy stuff.

Tone is king. The 12 frets to body resonators have something that makes me return to them when I am going to play a resonator.
Also one more thing that has just occured to me, no one ever (so far) has looked at the lightning and says, "isn't that the guitar from that Dire Straits album?" that is a good thing that happened a lot with my Rogue before I owned a MM Blues
Personally I would consider the MM Lightning or the Busker Chicago, but tone is a very personal thing and look at the players that inspired you to consider a Resonator

However like Michael says, follow your heart. If you don't you will always wonder if you made the right choice

[gouranga]

MM Lightning is a very sweet and warm instrument. Have had two in the past and liked them both very much. But, you have to get in there and feel for the one that hits the right note in you. Both are nice guitars.

All the very best.

Gouranga